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W. KEELER.

MOWING MACHINE.

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iran STATES PATENT WILLIAM KEELER, OF TOVVANDA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOROF ONE- HALF TO CHARLES F. CROSS, OF SAME PLACE.

IVIOWINGfMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 248,329, dated October18, 1881.

` Application filed July 24, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WM. KEELER, of Towanda, in the county of Bradfordand State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inMowing-Machines, of

which the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in front-draft mowing-machines; andthe objects of my improvements are to obtain with greater 1o facilitythe required number of revolutions of the crank-sh aft and theconsequent desired increased motions of the cutter, to give to thefinger-bar a freer yieldin g motion and greater adaptability to roughsurfaces while in operation, and .to improve the arrangement of devicesfor raising and lowering the linger-bar. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichzo Figure lis a plan view of a mower in a position for operating, with myimprovements attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,showing the arrangement of gearing around the axle of the transporting-wh eels and their connection with the remainder of the apparatus asthe linger-bar rests upon the ground. Fig. 3 is a side elevation,showing the cog-wheels G D E and their relative positions around theaxle A of the transporting.- 3o wheels. Fig. 4 is a sectional view ofthe interna-l cog-wheel, D, pinion W, and shaft A, taken ou the line ff,Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of arm in of brace L', showing theposit-ion of the main axle A and shafts F and H, as the said axles andshafts extend through said brace to support the driving-wheels andgearing. Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view of arm a, and brace L'. Fig.7 is au enlarged longitudinal section, taken through the center of 4ocrank-shaft F, to show particularly the sleevebox d.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The axle A, in combination with the braces L L' and draft-pole P,constitute the frame of the machine. The ends of axle A are connectedwith the hubs of the driving-wheels B B' in the usual manner.

Attached loosely to axle A is the internal 5o cog-wheel, D,to whichpower is communicated by the axle by the usual arrangement of ratchetsand pawls. Power applied to the internal cog,D,is directly transmittedto another set of gear, O and E, the axes'of which are separate andindependent of the main axle A, by the means and in the mannerfollowing.

L' is a brace, the lower end of which is secured firmly to thedraft-pole P. It tnen extends upward to between the drive-wheel B andthe cogD,and isdivided into two branches 6o or arms, m n, which areattached to and form loose bearings for axle A, all as shown in Figs.

1, 5, and 6. One of the arms, n, is shown as bolted to brace L', but, ifdesired, the whole brace may be cast in one piece. Said arms also formbearing and supports for shafts F and H. v

On the center of shaft H is secured gear wheel E, and on the inner endof.the same shaft is secured pinion W. '7o

Shaft F, with its inner end bearing loosely in arm a of brace L', andhaving for an opposite bearing box d, secured on arm m, is provided withgear-wheel O, which meshes with Wheel E on shaft H, and has attached toits outer end, beyond box d, crank-wheel O, all as shown in Fig. 7.

To the wrist-pin of the wheel O one end of a pitman-rod, N, is looselyconnected, 'the opposite end being attached to bell-cranklever V. 8o

Secured to and having a loose bearingaround sleeve-box d issidepropellingarm,l ',extending down to finger-bar T and connected withpitman-rod Nbypinp. By this connection the sickle is reciprocated in theusual manner. 8 5

Referring, now, to the operation of these parts, power is communicatedthrough the internal cog, D, to the pinion W, from thence by shaft H towheels E and O, and by shaftF to crankwheel O and pitman-rod N. Ou theopposite 9o side of the machine the axle A is connected with thedraft-pole P by a brace, L, corresponding in form to the brace L', inwhich the axle A has a loose bearing, but provided with only one arm. 95

To the braceL, by means ofabolt, b, a thrustarm, M, is connected,corresponding in form to the arm M' on the opposite side of the machine.The bolt b forms a loose bearing and support for the arm M, and thecenter of said bolt is on roc the same line with crank-shaft F, whichoperates the arm M' on the opposite side of the machine. These side armsare thus arranged to operate concentrically with said Wheels; and inconnection with the arrangement and opereration previously described theentire gearing is held in rest in any position it may take in revolvingabout the main axle A. The rear end of each ofthe side arms or bars, Mand M', is provided with adouble curveorconvex face, as shown at c, Fig.1, also shown in Fig. 7, where they would naturally tend to rub againstthe other parts, and thus a free and yielding motion of the linger-baris obtained, preventing the parts from binding when one end of the baris raised in passing over an obstruction, and thus adapting the machinefor easy and effective operation over rough surfaces. These arms M andM', which may be made of wood or lnetal, extend or curve outwardlybeyond the vertical plane of the wheels B B', and to their lower ends isrigidly attached nger-bar T. The linger-har rests upon the shoes R R,which slide on the ground, or may be further supported by wheels. Thelever J and bar I, connected by means of chains G G to the side arms, Mand M', form together a silnple device for raising and lowering thefinger-bar and other apparatus, and which is connected to draft-pole Pand braces L L by means ofloose bearings, substantiallyin the manner andform shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Draft-pole P is connected with axle A by means of a loose bearing, andas the weight of the gearing above described rests chiefly on the wheelB, such connection should be at such distance from the middle of saidaxle to compensate for the unequal draft of the wheels, and thuscrea-te,'as nearly as possible, a direct central draft, therebypreventing side strain on the horses while operating the machine.

The drivers seat S is mounted on standard Q, which standard is inclinedbackward, and is secured to the draft-pole by screw-bolts passed througha slot in the standard and secured on the under side of the pole by nutsin such a manner as to make it adjustable forward and backward. Theweight of the driver will serve to relieve much of the strain on thedraft-po1e.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire t-o secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The brace L', provided with arms m n, in combination with the mainaxle, gearing, shafts F and H, and sleeve-box d, for which mentionedfeatures the said brace and its arms form a suit-able support and bearings.

2. In a mowing-machine, the side bars, M and M, provided at their rearends with double curved or convex faces, as shown at c, in combinationwith. linger-bar T, rigidly attached to the lower ends of said arms,substantially as described.

3. The sleeve-box d, in combination with the arm M', the crank-wheel,the pitman-rod, and the cutter-bar, substantially as described.

WILLIAM KEELER.

Witnesses:

GEO. V. MYER, OnAs. L. OonDING.

